The invention relates in general to an apparatus for measuring pressure generated from the detonation of explosives and in particular to an apparatus that can measure such pressure for an extended time after the initial peak pressure.
In the development of new non-ideal explosives, a measurement of the late time conditions is required to understand the explosive performance. Therefore, a pressure gauge that will survive the interior pressure of the blast (i.e., the area of high temperatures, turbulence and debris) and measure the performance of a complex blast wave is required. Many known gauges for measuring pressure generated by explosives become saturated by the initial pressure pulse and are not able to continue measuring the pressure after the initial pressure pulse. The present invention is not saturated by the initial pressure pulse, thereby allowing measurement and evaluation of the late time phenomenon of the explosive. In addition, the present invention can survive the hostile environment of the blast.
The invention will be better understood, and further objects, features, and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.